AT&T has agreed to pay US$700,000 and refund certain customers said to have been overcharged on smartphone plans, after the Federal Communications Commission found that some customers were moved to more expensive monthly plans without their consent.

From September, 2009, the operator began requiring smartphone subscribers to purchase a monthly data plan as a condition for receiving wireless voice service. But customers covered under a "grandfathering policy" were not required to move to a monthly plan unless they upgraded an old smartphone, or they opted for the monthly plan, in which case they also lost their special status.

Some AT&T smartphone subscribers who were eligible to be charged for data under a pay-per-use plan or had data blocked on their phones under the grandfathering policy were however moved to a monthly data plan by the operator, according to a consent decree posted on the FCC's website.

Shortly after AT&T began mechanized enforcement of its monthly data plan from Nov. 1, 2009, the FCC said it began receiving complaints from AT&T subscribers about the addition of monthly data plans to their accounts. Some of the complaining subscribers alleged that they were, or appeared to be, grandfathered subscribers who should not have been subject to AT&T's mandatory monthly data plan requirement, according to the consent decree. A grandfathered subscriber is one who used a smartphone with a pay-per-use data plan or a data block on AT&T's network, prior to Nov. 1, 2009.

AT&T has agreed to pay the FCC $700,000 which is described as a "voluntary contribution" and also provide the option of a refund to grandfathered customers who were moved to the new monthly plan without their consent, to the extent of the difference between the monthly plan and the pay-per-use plan. The customers will also be given the option to move back to their original plan.

ARN Distributor Directory

ARN Vendor Directory

Slideshows

Opening ice breaker sessions set the scene for EDGE 2017

​EDGE 2017 kicked off with an opening ice breaker session, providing a structured environment for channel executives to form and foster new relationships and business opportunities. Photos by Maria Stefina.​

ARN returns to Melbourne for second running of After Hours

Partners, vendors and distributors came together for the second running of After Hours in Melbourne, designed to further unite the Australian channel through a series of invite-only social events in Victoria. Photos by Raymond Korn.​

A bumper crowd of partners turned out in force for Synnex Alliance 2017 in Melbourne, uncovering the key channel strategies required to deliver on the potential of digital transformation in Australia. An evening of keynote speakers, panel discussions and technology exhibitions assessed the opportunities and challenges of digital at Melbourne Olympic Park, with Sydney next up on August 16. Photos by Raymond Korn.

Copyright 2017 IDG Communications. ABN 14 001 592 650. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of IDG Communications is prohibited.